3 minute read

Fourth stakes win for classy son of Coolmore’s Galileo

The Aidan O’Brien-trained Armory (4 c Galileo - After by Danehill Dancer) - who was last seen running second behind Sir Dragonet (Camelot) in the Cox Plate (Gr 1, 2040m) in October - got his career as a four-year-old off to the perfect start when he landed the Huxley Stakes (Gr 2, 1m2.f) at Chester on Friday. 

The son of Galileo (Sadler’s Wells) raced at the back for much of the contest, before gliding to the lead in the straight, pulling clear to beat Sangarius (Kingman) by three lengths, while Palavecino (Cacique) was another length back in third. 

A winner of the Tyros Stakes (Gr 3, 7f) and Futurity Stakes (Gr 2, 7f) as a two-year-old, Armory landed the Royal Whip Stakes (Gr 3, 1m2f), while the colt has been placed at Group 1 level on four occasions, including in the Cox Plate. 

O’Brien said the colt would now likely head to either the Gold Cup (Gr 1, 2m3f) or the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes (Gr 1, 1m2f) at Royal Ascot next month. 

“We were delighted. He’s really matured,” said O’Brien. “I suppose what he has is an unbelievable turn of foot, which is a great thing in a horse because you don’t mind if they go fast or they go slow, as he quickens very well.

“He’s done very well over the winter, he had a lovely run in Australia last year but things didn’t really work out for him so we’re delighted.

“We were thinking after this he might go for the Tattersalls Gold Cup or the Prince of Wales’s, but probably the Prince of Wales’s.

“He has plenty of pace, but we always thought he’d get 10 furlongs – when you have a horse who quickens like that it’s a bonus, and Ryan gave him a lovely ride.”

The colt is one of two winners out of Group 3-placed Danehill Dancer (Danehill) mare After, who is herself out of Listed-winning Group 1-placed Noahs Ark (Charnwood Forest), making her a half-sister to Temps Au Temps (Invincible Spirit). 

Armory is one of 333 stakes winners Coolmore’s peerless stallion Galileo and he is represented in Australia by his sire sons, Adelaide and Churchill, who both stand at Coolmore Stud, while Highland Reel shuttles to Swettenham Stud in Victoria. 

Meanwhile at Cork, the Johnny Murtagh-trained Measure Of Magic (3 f Kodi Bear - Lilly Be by Titus Livius) followed up her last-start victory in the Committed Stakes (Listed, 5¾f) to win the Polonia Stakes (Listed 5.5f) on Friday. 

Measure Of Magic was purchased by her trainer and Eddie Linehan for €9,500 at the Goffs Ireland Autumn Yearling and Mixed Sale in 2019 and is one of two stakes winners for Rathbarry Stud-based sire Kodi Bear (Kodiac), with Cobhfield being his other.